


Recovery

by mizukiakabayashis (kraykei)



Category: Free!
Genre: Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 05:19:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5362847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kraykei/pseuds/mizukiakabayashis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Sousuke's injury still keeps him up at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> i got too emotional over my own injuries + sousuke's future healing process and...this happened. of course it's soukisu because soukisu is essentially my lifeblood at this point. enjoy!

Recovery, Sousuke had learned in the year and half since he’d wrecked his shoulder beyond repair at the end of high school, was never absolute. He went to physical therapy appointments and did all the assigned exercises, wore the brace he hated so much, deprived himself of what he loved most because he _knew_ he’d push himself too hard if he got in the water—but it didn’t matter. There were still bad days. 

Sometimes, they crept up slowly, after too many damp and rainy weather when the cold sank into his bones and made him feel like he was already an old man. More often, they were from doing something he _should_ have been able to do but _couldn’t_ : straining himself too hard getting a box off a high shelf at the grocery store, lifting a weights that turned out to be too heavy after all. The next day, he’d wake up with his shoulder aching like it hadn’t in months, a sharp reminder of his physical limitations.

They weren’t that frequent anymore. But they still _happened_. And Sousuke hated them.

He could usually go through life normally, like his body had never betrayed him. Like he hadn’t abandoned the only dream he’d ever known for university classes that just weren’t as fulfilling, no matter what he studied. But the bad days shattered that illusion, made him resentful again.

He could already tell that today was going to be a bad day.

He’d woken up at 6:30 AM, which had been an immediately sign something was wrong, because Sousuke never got up early on his own. Much less on a _Sunday_. At first, he’d been confused, but then he’d registered the familiar ache in his shoulder and _known._

He wasn’t sure what had caused it this time. It could have been the persistent winter fog, or something he’d done when he wasn’t paying attention. The _why_ didn’t matter. It hurt, and he wanted it to stop as soon as possible.

Sousuke suppressed a groan as he climbed out of bed, moving as slowly as possible to avoid disturbing the sleeping form beside him. He wasn’t used to being quiet in the morning—Kisumi usually woke up first, and was already dressed and halfway through breakfast by the time Sousuke even got out of bed. So he couldn’t help but linger a little, taking the rare chance to admire his boyfriend without the embarrassment of getting caught.

Kisumi looked so good it was honestly unfair. He was _pretty,_ but Sousuke would never say that to his face—it was too much. But how else could he describe the curve of Kisumi’s eyelashes, the slope of his cheekbones, how _soft_ his skin was?

Kisumi didn’t even have to try. All he had to do was run a hand through his hair and crack a smile and Sousuke was _gone._ He’d never even stood a chance against him.

When Kisumi slept, he was just as beautiful as he was during the day, hair spread out around him on the pillow like a cotton candy cloud. Sousuke fought the urge to lean in and kiss him—that could wait for when his boyfriend was awake.

The last thing he wanted was to disturb Kisumi now. He’d question him, like he always did, asking if his shoulder hurt even though Sousuke always insisted he was _fine_. Kisumi probably knew it was a lie. They’d known each other too long for that.  

Sousuke tore himself away, slowly making his way to their shared bathroom, keeping his footsteps as soft as possible on the wooden floor. He turned on the light and squinted into the sudden brightness, resenting his body for making him do this. It was too early to even have his eyes open, much less move around.

But, as the persistent ache in his shoulder reminded him, he didn’t have a choice. So he submitted himself to the familiar routine, reaching into the medicine cabinet for pain pills and popping a few into his mouth, washing them down with water from the sink. Next was the part he hated the most.

The shoulder brace wasn’t actually _that_ bad, but to Sousuke it felt uncomfortably restrictive, especially when he hadn’t worn it in a while. But it stopped him from hurting himself even worse, and for that it was worth it. The last thing Sousuke wanted was to end up back in physical therapy, having to admit he’d regressed due to stubbornness. Again.

Sousuke finished securing the brace and frowned at his reflection in the mirror. He looked different than he had when he was seventeen—he’d lost a little muscle definition after quitting swimming, but he’d grown into his face more, his jawline turning more defined. But seeing the brace on his body made him feel like he was back in high school. He just wanted to take it _off_.

But he couldn’t. Not for a while. He signed, resigning himself to his fate and heading back to bed.

When he reached their room, Kisumi hadn’t moved at all. His eyes were shut and his breathing even—had Sousuke really gotten away with it?  He settled in under the still-warm blankets beside Kisumi as gently as he could, once again careful not to disturb him.

Just when he’d been about to drift off back to sleep, Kisumi’s voice jolted him awake.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

Shit. Sousuke had been so careful, but he’d _still_ woken him up. How did Kisumi always just _know?_ Sousuke considered pretending he didn’t know what Kisumi was talking about, but lying was pointless around his boyfriend. He saw right through it.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, hoping to dismiss the entire thing. “I’m fine.”

Unfortunately, Kisumi seemed to have no intention of dropping it. He opened his eyes and looked Sousuke up and down, his gaze lingering on the brace. “It must be pretty bad, huh.” There was no accusation in his voice, no question of _what did you do this time, Sousuke,_ only genuine concern.

But that was expected. The only one that hard on Sousuke was himself. Kisumi’s words were gentle, as soft as his touch when he reached out and ran his fingers over the black synthetic material of the brace, as lovingly as if it was part of Sousuke’s skin.

Sousuke swallowed hard, the simple gesture making him feel warm all over. “I guess,” he admitted. “But it’ll stop soon. It’s okay.”

Kisumi let out of a soft hum and didn’t comment any further, but Sousuke _knew_ he was worrying. Which was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to tell him. Too bad hiding things from Kisumi was pretty much impossible.

Without saying another word, Kisumi leaned over and planted a kiss to Sousuke’s shoulder, lips brushing against the brace so lightly Sousuke could hardly feel it. He smiled when he pulled away, his eyes warm, and Sousuke felt himself blush in response. Sousuke half expected him to say some embarrassing line ( _there you go, I’ve kissed it better_ ) but instead, he leaned in for another kiss, this time on the mouth.

Sousuke let out a soft sound of surprise, but he wasn’t about to complain. He pulled Kisumi closer, letting him deepen the kiss. Kisumi’s mouth moved almost desperately, too intense for six in the morning, and something about it was…off.  

Sousuke knew how Kisumi kissed when he wanted something more, hot and teasing with wandering hands. But this wasn’t that—it was just _insistent,_ like if their mouths moved together in just the right way they could communicate without saying a word. Sometimes it worked that way—but right now, they needed something more.

He pulled away, stopping to catch his breath before he could speak again. “Kisumi—”

Kisumi cut him off before he could even ask what was wrong. “You can tell me, you know.” Despite his flushed cheeks, Kisumi looked completely serious, staring down at Sousuke with an unusual intensity in his eyes. “I want to know if you’re in pain.”

Kisumi’s words made Sousuke’s chest feel tight. He knew Kisumi loved him, but sometimes it still hit him hard just how _much_ he cared.

But when Sousuke was hurting, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want Kisumi to worry, but it was selfish, too. It let him avoid feeling too vulnerable. But Kisumi wouldn’t turn away if he saw Sousuke like that, would he?

No, he wouldn’t. Because he _loved_ Sousuke. The thought sent Sousuke’s heart beating faster like he’d heard it for the first time all over again.

He wrapped his good arm around Kisumi, pulling him close so he could rest his head on Sousuke’s chest. “Okay. I’ll tell you.”

Kisumi shifted a little, slipping his arm around Sousuke’s torso. “Promise?”

Sousuke considered it. He knew himself well enough to realize that, in this case, _promise_ was a strong word. “No.” He reached out and ran his hand through Kisumi’s hair, admiring how soft the strands were. “But I’ll try.”

He couldn’t see Kisumi’s face, but he didn’t need to. Sousuke was sure he was smiling. “That’s good enough for me.” Kisumi fell silent for so long that Sousuke might’ve thought he’d fallen back asleep if he hadn’t still been actively leaning into his touch. “You tired?” he asked eventually.

“It’s six in the morning. Of course I’m tired.”

Kisumi laughed at that, soft and light. “Then let’s go back to sleep.”

Sousuke hadn’t heard a better suggestion in his life. “Wake me up in six hours,” he mumbled, closing his eyes leaving his hand tangled in Kisumi’s hair, hoping he’d drift off soon.

But Kisumi fell asleep first, his breathing evening out as Sousuke held him close. Sousuke, exhausted as he was, had to wait for the pills to do their job and take the edge off. Slowly, they did, easing the pain in his shoulder back to a dull ache. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for now.

If recovery meant going back to the way everything had been before the injury, he was never going to recover. His shoulder would probably always hurt once and a while, and even if it didn’t, _he’d_ be different. More cautious. More reluctant to dream. And part of him resented that, just wanted to get _better_ already, and _stay_ that way.

But, he thought as Kisumi stirred slightly against him in his sleep, _some_ changes were for the better.

He was always going to have bad days—there was nothing he could do about that. But he’d manage them. He’d be okay.

After all, he wasn’t doing it alone anymore.

 

**Author's Note:**

> hmu @mizukiakabayashis on tumblr if you like this pairing...we must unite


End file.
